The short but breathtaking River Caves Canyon

I’ve been meaning to do the River Caves Canyon for a while as I explore the many non-technical canyons around Sydney – but I’d heard varying reports on the condition of the access road. So I jump at the opportunity to join an Upper Blue Mountains Bushwalking Club walk led by Andrew (I end up driving my own car to the trailhead, as the access firetrail is in great condition). We park at the upper trailhead, and walk about 400m down the unsealed road to the Natural Bridge carpark, which is also the end of the road. A walking track continues from the locked gate.

We walk down the Mount Cameron Trail for about 400m, before turning left onto the River Caves Canyon track which starts to descend towards the bottom of the valley from Natural Bridge (a natural saddle in the ridge).

We soon reach a tributary of Budgary Creek; there’s a bit of scrambling over obstacles and pushing through ferns as we follow the rough track.

The canyon section begins near the confluence of Budgary Creek and the unnamed tributary we’ve been following. River Caves Canyon was “discovered” in the late 1940s by Russell May and John Norris, who called it “The Water Tunnel”.

As the creek enters the first section of canyon, sandstone cliffs rise steeply on both sides. It’s impossible to avoid getting wet feet… but you have the option of avoiding the deeper sections by walking near the edge of the water, or you can wade up the middle of the creek (it’s never more than waist-deep).

The narrow canyon opens up to the first of a couple of spectacular chambers.

Shafts of sunlight poke through the top of the chamber.

The River Caves Canyon gets increasingly picturesque as we make our way further in.

About halfway a decision need to be made: follow the creek through a waist-deep section of water, or climb up above this section to stay (mostly) dry…

…about the half the group opt for the Dry Route, and the other half make their way through the deepest section of River Caves Canyon.

After this deep pool is a series of small cascades.

Just before the end of River Caves Canyon is perhaps the most spectacular chamber, which narrows to form the exit to the canyon section of this bushwalk.

We stop for morning tea in a sunny spot outside the canyon exit, watched carefully by what I think is an  eastern water skink and enjoying a sample of Andrew’s homemade Canestrelli.

Before we head out, we make a small side-trip up another tributary of Budgary Creek.

The destination is a small waterfall that drops into a deep pool – it’s more photogenic than it looks in my photo!

Retracing our steps back to the canyon exit, we initially follow Budgary Creek a bit further downstream.

The exit is a very wide “ramp” between two cliffs.

It’s a steep but short climb which gets us out of the gully

From the top of the ramp there’s another 500m of easy walking as the track ascends gently back up to the Mount Cameron Trail.

It’s a short but beautiful canyon; I’d go as far as to say it’s the most spectacular non-technical canyons in the Greater Blue Mountains. You could easily do this canyon in under two hours if you don’t stop much; we took three hours at a slow pace with lots of photo stops. This is one of the few Blue Mountains canyons you can do year-round, but a warm summer’s day allows you to enjoy a swim in the deeper sections of the creek.

River Caves Canyon is very close to Deep Pass Canyon, so you can easily do these two in the same day – or if you prefer to stay completely dry, continue along Glowworm Tunnel Road to Wolgan View Canyon.

Getting to River Caves Canyon

To reach the start of the River Caves Canyon walk, you need to get to the Natural Bridge carpark; navigation can be a little tricky, although some road signage has been added in recent years. Turn off Chifley Road at the Zig Zag Railway at Clarence onto the Old Bells Line of Road, which after 8.8km reaches a junction with the Glowworm Tunnel Road. Turn right onto Glowworm Tunnel Road and continue for about 11.5km along Glowworm Tunnel Road, past the Bungleboori Picnic Area. Turn right onto Deep Pass Trail, and then after about 650m turn left onto the Mount Cameron Trail.

All roads are unsealed and should be suitable for all cars, but the condition of the Mount Cameron Trail can vary a little, and may require a 4WD if there’s been heavy rain. Allow about 2:45min from Sydney or 35min from Lithgow (once you turn off Chifley Road it’s about a 35min drive).